That's reasonable just don't get caught up in demanding exact distances
until you've been involved in trying to get an accurate course with all
the problems that come with trying to produce an accurate and safe course
There are a lot of variables that most people are not aware of

mike wrote:That's reasonable just don't get caught up in demanding exact distancesuntil you've been involved in trying to get an accurate course with all the problems that come with trying to produce an accurate and safe courseThere are a lot of variables that most people are not aware of

I wasn't demanding that the course be the precise distance nor was I complaining. I had to ask for my own program and because 21% of male competitors ran sub 6min/mi pace, which is very surprising to me. For the purpose of the Sunday's race, I truly don't care if the course was exact.

Oh well, if it was dead on, great. If not, the adjustment on interval paces are going to make track sessions BRUTAL.

I wasn't demanding that the course be the precise distance nor was I complaining. I had to ask for my own program and because 21% of male competitors ran sub 6min/mi pace, which is very surprising to me. For the purpose of the Sunday's race, I truly don't care if the course was exact.

Oh well, if it was dead on, great. If not, the adjustment on interval paces are going to make track sessions BRUTAL.[/quote]

Hey Brad, I was one of the 21% and I KNOW for a fact that I can't avg that pace in those conditions. Not that I'm complaining either since we got done earlier, but I also wanted to know for my own personal numbers. A friend of mine mentioned after the race that I got faster, but I know I didn't get THAT fast! I didn't wear my Garmin like I usually do and it would have been nice to know. The organization of the race was A+ and that's all I could have asked for.

triserf wrote:For the record, my Garmin 305 said it was 1.7 miles, a little short. Bike was 14.58.

Thanks, that is what I was looking for.

Hey Brad, I was one of the 21% and I KNOW for a fact that I can't avg that pace in those conditions.

Pascal, that was my thought exactly. In a standalone 5k, I've not run sub 19:30 since high school. Then BOOM, I'm dropping sub 5:40 miles (17:34 pace for 5k)? I do 800m intervals at the track at a 5:50 pace, so to do that pace before and after the bike was...INNNCONCEIVABLE!

Well, I've been put back in my place and the balloon has been deflated a bit! Back to work.

Great job on the race everybody. From this competitors standpoint, great as usual.[/i]

For the record, I expect race distances to be reasonably accurate, especially in a USAT-sanctioned race. I know everyone's distance will be a little different depending of how they run the turns (tight or wide), but the shortest (tightest) route along the course shouldn't be off by more than ... what, 1%? That's 50 meters over a 5k. We should be able to get within that, right? (I thought USAT required even tighter tolerances than that, but correct me if I'm wrong.) Shoot, get the little wheel thingy out and roll the course if you have to. I'll even volunteer my kids to do it if it'll get them off the couch.

I apologize for seeming defensive. I was not part of the staff just voluntered
at water stop but I know the different problems that can arise when setting up a course
ie safety logistics accuracy etc. so I get a little upset when it sounds like
bitching. I have work on the Redman bike course every year since the beginning
and people have bitched about things and they have never worked on a course in their life
and have no idea what goes into setting up a safe accurate course that is logistically possible.
Again I apologize and enjoy the races
Mike

I have to agree that a championship race should be as accurate as possible, but I've run enough 5K and 10K races to accept that sometimes the cones get set in the wrong place and the distance is off. I only wish I could say I ran a 38:25 10K, but alas my Garmin put me about 300 meters short of 10K!

I also agree that we all ran/biked/ran the same brutal and hot distance yesterday! Thank you RD's, volunteers, timers, spectators and everyone else out there supporting and participating in the race!! Especially you Larry! I saw the sweat beads dripping down your face

I'm a stickler when it comes to accuracy, however, tri's and du's are rarely 100% dead on all three segments. I know that even on Rt 66 I'm off a few yards here and there. I think in some spots I've got it listed as 20Kb, but I changed it to 13 miles for safety
USAT doesn't require certified distances, but there is an expectation from race perps for distances to be accurate.
Mike is right that sometimes considerations come into play, safety and/or an unexpected hiccup.
I can name numerous races that their distance are NEVER accurate, but I know that either up front checking out the course or after the fact based on GPS data.
Classic ones:
TX Motor Speedway Du: That run ain't 2 miles..it's 1.8
Body vs Earth Tri: Not even close to 4 miles....probably a 1/2 mile short...unless you get lost. One year the buoy broke loose and slow swimmers had to chase it to catch it....when I finished on the bike...the buoy was on the other side of the lake and people were still coming out of the water.
Draper Du off Road Bike....ah, depends on what path you take Longhorn 1/2 Iron....heck, one year guys were popping out of the water under 20 minutes